Improvement in letter-sheet envelopes



CHARLES FOSTER, OF CORTLANDy VILLAGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO CHARLES W. KINNE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER-SHEET ENVELOPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,389, dated February 6, 1872.

Specication describing certain Improvements in Preparing Sheets of Letter-Paper so as to dispense With the use of envelopes, invented by CHARLns Fos'riiaof Cortland Village, in the county of Cortland and State of New York.

My invention relates more particularly to the preparing of business letter-paper, so that the same may be folded and sealed after the letter is Written Without. using any envelope, by gumming portion-s of the edges thereof; and, further, by a series of small holes punched in a continuous line around the sheet near its edge, enabling the receiver of the letter to easily open it andreinove the gulnmed portions by tearing oli' the edges through the punched lines.

Figure l is a surface view of a sheet of paper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows the saine When folded in letter form.

a is a letter-sheet of paper, and somewhat Wider and shorter than the half-sheet of what is usually called business notepaper. Near the edges of this sheet, across the ends and sides, is punched a continuous line of small holes, I), near enough together to insure the tearing of the paper upon such line. The space between the punched line and the edge ofthe sheet, upon e( side thereof, from the center to the top of the sheet, and also across the top of the sheet, is gumined With any of the usual adhesive gums, and the gum allowed to dry. The sheet is then ready for use.

The letter is Written Within the punched lines of holes, the gum is moistened, and the sheet folded by one fold through the middle. This brings the punched lines of the top and bottoinf the sheet together, and also those of the sides are folded, the lower upon the upper half on each side, and the gum seals them together all round. The letter then assumes the appearance indicated in Fig. 2, and is ready for direction.

To open the letter, the strips upon the edge outside the punched lines are torn off, and the letter is freed from all gum and ready to ille away with the post-mark and direction. upon it, and always remaining upon it. The punched lines serve the double purpose of forming a space for the gum outside of them, and also forming a line through which the paper shall tear in opening the letter.

I claim as a new article of manufacture- A letter-sheet of paper gummed and punched substantially as and for the purpose hei-einbefore set forth.

CHARLES FOSTER.

YVitnesses:

CHARLES H. DUELL, J As. A. NIKON. 

